Nothing to Report

I have not had any issues nor anything to report this past week.  Kara has done a great job of milking my drain, measuring results, taking my temperature, monitoring my meds, cooking, doing laundry and keeping up with her job remotely.  I don’t know how anyone alone would be able to do this for themselves.  I guess rehab hospitals come into play at that point.  Living close to your children is a really serious choice as you age.  We are fortunate that we can fly them here and their jobs are such that they can be gone or do it remotely.

I have not been in pain, more discomfort, and mostly from the drain.  It is a PIA!  It just gets in the way!  I have a robe with pockets inside to hold the bulb but sitting and sleeping on it can be disruptive every time you move!

We are getting offers from friends to bring food which is most welcome, especially by Kara.  My niece in Cincinnati even sent her cc number and told me to have meals delivered all week!  Such a nice offer but one meal at her expense will be enough.  Yesterday Kara’s friend brought brisket, potatoes and salad she had made.  It was better than any BBQ restaurant!  It warms my heart to have people be so thoughtful.

My drain output is below 30 ml two days in a row so hopefully tomorrow we can go to MDA to have the drain removed.  That will make me feel much better!

I have an appointment with the plastic surgeon this week and the oncology surgeon the next.  No word on the med oncologist who will give me the lowdown on how we proceed.  She said her outlined protocol would not change so I think I know where this is headed.  Chemo, radiation, Herceptin, Arimidex.  Five years!!  Breast cancers are not alike.  Each one has specifics to consider.  Unfortunately I don’t have the surgery + radiation + Arimidex and done.  It is some comfort to know there were no positives in my gene testing though my mother died of breast cancer but I was a fool and didn’t learn more about hers.  I do know when it returned they gave her chemo, radiation and Herceptin but the horse was already out of the barn but this was a 1996 diagnosis, 2000 death.  Much has been learned in those 25 years.  Dr. Oke said their 9 year study of my outlined protocol has a 96% success rate.  I am standing before God with those odds!  

I cannot go to church so Ted went to ours and made arrangements for him to bring a consecrated host home to me and Kara.  We watched Mass on line and saw him walk to the altar to receive the pyx the host is in.  He came home, said the prayers which we answered appropriately, and gave us Communion.  It is the best I can do for now.  

Surgery Is Over

We kept close to home to insure I would not have a positive Covid test and delay my surgery.  It is getting really boring not going anywhere or having company.  Kara arrived on Sunday to help and we were so happy to see her.  We didn’t do anything specific on Monday and she fixed dinner for us.  We left at 6:15 am to go downtown to M D Anderson in the Texas Medical Center on Tuesday.  We valet parked, checked in at Pre-Op and waited.  It was about 9:15 when I was taken back to Admission and before we finished Ted was brought to join me as I was taken to prepare for surgery.  It is a maze of areas and rooms and very easy to get lost!  At last I kissed Ted goodbye and was taken to one of 38 operating rooms.  

I was scheduled for a lumpectomy followed by a plastic surgeon putting me back together.  It was not too terribly long for the lumpectomy.  The aesthetic repair took longer.  I had no bleeding problems having stopped Eliquis on Sunday and Monday.  I used what they call a Lovonox bridge to protect me from clots until after my surgery.

The doctor removed the 1.3 mm invasive cancer and the surrounding 2.4 x 3.4 cm clump of pre cancerous calcifications. Then 4 lymph nodes were removed and on visual inspection appeared to have no cancer.  All good news.  Now we wait for the pathology to confirm these findings.

The oncologist had outlined a treatment plan of chemo, radiation, Herceptin and Arimidex. With the only cancer found being that grain of rice sized cancer I wonder if this will change.  It is an aggressive cancer and is known to reoccur so I think that protocol may still be on the table.  

We were home a little after 6:00 and Kara had dinner ready again.  I chose to sleep on the couch where I could sleep on my left side with my back braced against the back of the couch.  I had to get up to go to the bathroom 3 times through the night because of all the fluids given to me through my IV.  They had given me a shot of blue dye to map the nodes that drained the breast so I was very fancy with the beautiful blue water in the toilet bowl!  

Wednesday we had a visit from Irene who came bearing flowers!  Such a nice thing to do.  We had a good visit for about an hour.  Kara fixed us dinner again, she won’t allow me to do anything!  She has been monitoring my drains, my temp, my medicine, etc. as well as doing the cooking and working from here for her job!  She is one of a kind!

Tomorrow I can shower!  It will be my first look at my incisions and the aesthetics of the repair.  I could have more done but with my use of blood thinners, extensive repair was dangerous for no reason other than aesthetics.  He did say if the finished look was not acceptable to me there were things he could do.  So we’ll see.  

I will see the surgeon and plastic surgeon next week.  I have no appointment with the oncologist yet.  It will make it possible for us to plan for next summer when we know the schedule.  I am hoping I can find a cancer center in MI and OH so I can get a Herceptin infusion.  Otherwise I will have to fly back and forth every three weeks.  

A Week at Home

Wednesday morning I went with Ted to the skeet club to drop him off.  We passed Mimi walking to the mailbox and she indicated I should come by for a visit while Ted was shooting.  I did just that and we had a great visit.  Ted texted me later to come get him and we drove to Golden Chick for a late lunch/early dinner.  Later we went to Bentsen Grove to see a comedy music show.  It was fun and a nice finish to our short stint in the Rio Grande Valley.  We miss seeing the shows.

Thursday morning, we had breakfast at the hotel and left just about 9:00.  We were home by 3:00.  We only had one suitcase so unpacking was easy.  I took the two lasagnas we bought for $5 each at Maggiano’s out of the freezer and had them for dinner.  

I met my friend Irene at the wig salon Friday and we spent 1.5 hours trying on all kinds of wigs until we agreed upon the most naturally looking one for me.  Of course my hair is so thin that I actually look better in it.  I also bought a turban for quick trips to the store or if someone stops by.  We went to lunch at Le Madeleine before going our separate ways.

In the evening we attended a Healing Mass and Blessing of the Sick.  It wasn’t at our church but the other Catholic parish in our township.  It took two hours because each person is blessed with holy chrism and prayed over.  I felt I really needed to attend.  You can’t ask for prayers from others if you fail to avail yourself of what is specifically planned for ill people.  

Saturday was business as usual.  I did laundry and we attended our normal 5 pm Mass.  We went to Willie’s to eat and stopped at Walmart for a few things since we were right there.  Sunday we did nothing special at all.  Ted made Skyline chili for dinner.  As long as I don’t have to make it, I will gladly eat what is put in front of me. 

We pretty much sat Monday and Tuesday out waiting for 3 days of appointments the rest of the week.  Wednesday we met with both surgeons and decided on a lumpectomy to remove the cancer and nothing more because of my previous DVT, PE and continued use of Eliquis. It is just too risky for cosmetic purposes.  The incision will remove an approximate 1 inch square that will be corrected by the plastic surgeon  Lord knows he has enough to work with.

Thursday was our first trip to MDA downtown.  It took an hour and 20 minutes in early morning traffic and only 45 minutes to come home.  I am not sure this couldn’t have been done out here but I guess they have their reasons.  I had a PA go over all my answers on everything they have given me to fill out.  I took every bottle of pills I take, as I was directed - calcium, vitamin D, coQ10, Eliquis, simvistatin and Tylenol PM.  I had contacted my cardiologist who sent a 9 month old EKG and a clearance letter.  I whipped out her card when he asked about her phone number to request my recent tests in September.  I was prepared!  He ordered an EKG because they want one less than 6 months old.  So we went to the lab, signed in electronically and within 10 minutes I was in and out and we headed home.  

Today I have an appt for placement of my “scout.”  It is a tiny GPS to direct the doctor to the exact spot and it too will then be removed.  That will be followed by a mammogram.  

The only thing left is a Covid test next Friday and surgery should be a go!  My prayer now is no cancer in the sentinel node(s) that will be removed.  I have a post op appointment they already made for 2/6 and I suppose chemo will start shortly thereafter.  That’s the part I really dread. Keep the thoughts and prayers coming. They are so appreciated.  

Home for New Years and Hitting the Road Again

We had a 7 am flight Thursday morning so we opted to stay at the Hilton at the airport the night before.  Bill, Kara, Ted and I all drove to Sandy’s on Beech in Redford to pick up dinner and went to visit Bill’s cousin who we know well.  We had a great visit before being dropped off at the hotel. We set a 4:30 alarm and turned in early.  Our trip home was every bit as easy and pleasant as our flight up.  We were home by 10:30 having landed at the airport 40 minutes early.

We didn’t do much over the weekend. I fell asleep New Year’s Eve and woke up at 12:10 am.  I missed the ball drop and saying goodbye to 2021.  I don’t think 2022 is going to be a heck of a lot better, especially for me.  I am calling it the Trifecta of lousy years!  

We went to Mass Saturday night.  I had a pot roast in the crockpot and we stopped at Kroger to get noodles and there weren’t any except one bag of some kind of special noodles that cooked in 3 minutes and cost $6.  This shortage of things is getting scary!  

We left at 7:30 am for Mission on Sunday morning and our trip was smooth except for tremendous wind gusts.  The Expedition got buffeted around pretty good.  We decided to stay on 77 out of Victoria all the way to Harlingen to go right to Mexico to buy the medicines we needed.  We then drove to our Hilton hotel, arriving at 1:30.  Terrific time!  

Our next door neighbors on Lark had invited us for dinner so after settling in and resting a bit we went to their coach house.  Ted also went next door to get access to the coach house where our stuff was for something he needed.  He met the guy who has sublet from us.  We had a very pleasant evening and it was quite late when we left.

Monday we returned to Mexico to get the balance of the Volfenac arthritis cream that many had asked us to get for them.  We didn’t want to buy it all at once.  It is not a prescription anymore in the US but the strength is more and price is less.  We didn’t want them to think we were reselling it for profit.  I bought CeCe a pair of PJs and some training pants so we both had something else to say we bought.  Ted told them he had PJ’s and arthritis cream, They just waved him through.  He didn’t even ask me!

We told Jay and Stella, old Texas Boomer friends, we wanted to visit but would come after lunch and leave before dinner.  They are both using canes now because of infirmaries in her knees and his back.  This getting old business is seriously bad for your health!    

From there we went to Trudy and Don’s motorhome to meet up for dinner.  We went to the Republic of Texas restaurant for dinner and then returned to our hotel.

Niles and Sue asked us to meet them at Diaz Diner for breakfast before his doctor’s appointment on Tuesday.  He is dealing with cancer also and we wanted to be sure to see them and agreed.   We spent about an hour and a half with them and then left for the Mission Skeet Club where Ted was meeting Dave and others to shoot, and Karen and I were going shopping.  We had intended to go to Butterfly Boutique, a cancer prosthetics store to look at headgear and wigs. When  I looked up the opening time it said Permanently Closed.  So we just went to the mall.  I bought a 3T jacket for CeCe for next year at Dillard’s then we met Ted and Dave at Cheddar’s for lunch.  I had a kids grilled cheese.  Too much eating out! 

Our afternoon was to visit Steve and Marisa who sold their spot, trailer and truck only to return, buying a one bedroom casita with room for their Class B motorhome and new truck.  It is very nice.  Ted said he wanted to stop to say hello to Norm and Emily so we dropped in unannounced.  They were eating and insisted we come in and visit because they could nuke it later.  When we were leaving, Sue came by walking Sammy so we got to talk to her some more.  Niles still did not get a 12/13 pathology report and she was pretty upset.  

We came home after that to put our feet up.  We have covered a lot of ground in a little bit of time. 

I decided to show a visual of the size of my cancer, 1.3 mm.  That is a spot from the red line to less than half way between the first two green lines.  No wonder no one can feel it!  It made me feel better about my situation.